Monthly Archives: July 2012

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I had returned from a #gtchat session on Twitter about Critical Thinking and was looking forward to reading the transcript which will be posted soon at http://www.txgifted.org/gtchat-transcripts Much helpful advice and many useful links were shared during the chat and also some light hearted joking like this

I found Sprite trying to finish her homework with “help” from Intellectual and Imaginational Dabrowski.
As Serendipity would have it her homework involved reading the chapter about brain function, then writing an essay about it and drawing a picture or chart to illustrate it.
Intellectual had suggested that she should stick some pictures on her whiteboard and make notes about the various areas to help her with writing the essay and creating a chart.
Much to Intellectual’s frustration, Imaginational had insisted on doing the fun bit first and was suggesting the form her illustration should take.
This is the diagram Sprite drew with the help of Imaginational.

“See” said Sprite “This is my Thinkatorium. Twitter Birds bring stuff in and I see stuff with my eyes and hear stuff with my ears and then it all gets put on conveyor belts which are on cogs that are turned by hamsters in hamster wheels and they get sent to the Language Garden to be sorted out into the subjects they are about and then the Memory Elephant files them somewhere in the filing cabinets and if I have told the Memory Elephant enough about them they can be found again. Otherwise I can’t find them when I need them later.”

Intellectual sighed! “Let’s apply some Critical Thinking to this” he barked “Bearing in mind that you are required to write a factual essay and provide an accurate factual illustration, can you see any inconsistencies between what you just read about how the brain functions and the picture that Imaginational helped you to draw?”

“Oh, incidentally, I do approve of your use of the word Thinkatorium” added Intellectual “ I checked your sources and I found that there is an excellent wiki of the same name at Thinkatorium http://thinkatorium.wikispaces.com/ and that Dr Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory also used the term http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1632246/quotes
I hope you are going to cite the sources of your quote properly!”

Great Aunt Hashtag had gone home and the Psych Owl Ogist ordered take-away food so that hunger would not distract them and settled in for further discussion about how to find the right flock for the gifted Tweetlets. He ordered Fried Mice for himself, Wormburgers for the Tweets and Tweetil and a seed heart for Tweetelle.

“First of all I have to say” said the Psych Owl Ogist “YMMV!”

“Why what?” asked Tweet.

“YMMV, my good man – Your Mileage May Vary”

“You will hear lots of advice and suggestions. Listen to all of it and weight it up carefully and come to your own conclusions. Because a particular flock was suitable for some does not necessarily mean it will suit others.”

“But don’t be too quick to reject suggestions either because often variations can be found or potential barriers removed.”

“For example you rejected Fine Feathers without further consideration because of the cost. It could be possible to get a full or partial scholarship and work some overtime to cover the fees if you felt strongly that it would be the best flock for the Tweetlets.”

“And Retweet rejected all Local Flocks on the basis of the one she saw.
But Local Flocks vary a great deal and some can be excellent for gifted Tweetlets.
You need to visit many of them and ask them the questions. Also join a support group for parents of gifted Tweetlets and find out which flocks the members recommend. Some flocks are happy to accept early entry of gifted Tweetlets.”

“Some Flocks will have programs for groups of gifted Tweetlets or occasionally join with other flocks for special activities and excursions.
Some will offer Vertical Timetabling, Differentiation, Withdrawal classes or Dual enrolment.
Make sure that the Tweetlets with be given suitable teaching in their regular classes every day. They are not only gifted between 2.00-3.00 pm on Tuesday!”

“Check whether they are open to accelerating the Tweetlets to a higher class either full time or for some subjects and if they would use the Iowa Acceleration Scales”

When we last looked in on the Tweet family, Tweet and Retweet were teaching their Tweetlets in the nest until they were old enough to join FLOCK Ed and had already embarked on the study of Flight 101. As the Tweetlets wings were not developed enough they had not been able to start the practical part of the course but they had a good understanding of the theories.

The Tweetlets had been assessed as gifted by the Psych-Owl-Ogist who had warned Tweet and Retweet that the Tweetlets could be very disappointed with the introductory classes of FLOCK Ed as they would be covering topics which they already understood.
“In most introductory classes they are still learning the nesty rhymes,” he had told them.

“In fact,” he had said “it may not be wise to send them to the local flock. You need to select a flock which will allow them to go far!”

Now the Tweetlets have stopped wearing nappies and are ready to join FLOCK Ed and Tweet and Retweet are faced with the decision of which flock to choose.
The Psych Owl Ogist arrived bringing a list of questions Tweet and Retweet should ask the Flock based on Finding the best school for your gifted child: Recommended questions to ask from the Davidson Institute http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10403.aspx

Some of Tweet’s relatives were trying to pressure them into choosing the exclusive private flock Fine Feathers which they had attended and sent them glossy promotional brochures.

Tweetelle gazed at the pictures of the Preening and Deportment classes and chirped “I want to go to that flock”.

But Tweet stated firmly that he could not afford the flock fees of a wheelbarrow of seeds per term.
And the Psych Owl Ogist argued that, although Fine Feathers would offer upper class social connections and the brochure claimed that each Tweetlet would be given the opportunity to reach their potential, it would probably not be a suitable Flock for the Tweetlets.
“Although they are ahead of most local Flocks,” he said “the main focus of the introductory class study is ‘Birds of a feather flock together’ Tweetlets who are independent thinkers would not fit into their mould!”
“You should let them fly with the Local Flock” chimed in Great Aunt Hashtag. “It’s free and there is no extra travel involved. I flew with the Local Flock. It was good enough for me!”

But Retweet had already made the acquaintance of the Local Flock when they held a class on her washing line and was not impressed. They were disheveled and disrespectful. They made rude gestures at Tweetil and whistled lewdly at Tweetelle and kept on squawking “Yo, Knickerfeathers!”
Although they were already able to fly, they were still learning their nesty rhymes. Retweet had felt relieved about that at first; as she knew her Tweetlets would not be behind the others in this group. But then she learnt that the group on her line was not the group her Tweetlets would join – this was the older group! Her Tweetlets were already a long way ahead of the older group in many respects.

The Psych Owl Ogist suggested that it would be worthwhile investigating Al TERN ative Education and suggested the select entry accelerated program ‘Voltare ad Astra’ as being particularly suitable.
Here, the Psych Owl Ogist said, the Tweetlets would be challenged, would have individualized education plans and would find a cohort of true peers
As the Psych Owl Ogist expressed it ‘One good TERN deserves another’

Intellectual Dabrowski greeted me at the entrance to Sprite’s Site with his lead in his mouth and a determined expression in his eyes.
“It is time for us to go back to the school and talk about Sprite’s Education Plan again!” he said.
“You can’t just make a plan once and leave it at that, you know!”

I do know. Situations change and the measures you put into place are not appropriate any longer. It is just like growing out of shoes.
We have needed to review the provisions for Sprite’s education often in order to challenge her in her areas of giftedness and support her in the areas where she has problems
Derrin Cramer’s book Gifted and Thriving at School: How proactive parents can get the education that fits their child has proven very valuable.
And one of Derrin’s key messages is “Advocating for your gifted child is an ongoing process. It is not a one-shot fix”

An unexpected result of the Twitter Birds Un-Olympics Bower 5 the Keep it Simply Science Bower was that Outfora Duck arrived seeking asylum from the Cricket.
“Every time they televise a cricket match and somebody goes out without making any runs, they stick a cricket cap on my head and a bat in my hand and force me to waddle across the screen looking stupid!” he complained “I’ve had enough! I’m going on strike!”

The Twitter Birds declared he would be safe hanginging out with them in the Un-Olympics Bower and they showed him their simulation of the explanation of the Higgs Boson particle.

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